Page 64 of Joker's Ghost
“Laundry.”
“Give that to me.” He grabs the hamper out of my hands. “There’s no way you’re carrying that basket downstairs.”
“The doctor said I could resume all my normal activities.” I nod to the hamper. “And, sadly, doing laundry is a normal activity for me.”
Last year, when I had the flu, Joker and Derek took over the laundry. It cost me an expensive top that should’ve been dry-cleaned, and my favorite white t-shirt is now tie-dyed.
Joker throws back his shoulders. “I’m capable of doing the wash.”
“No, you’re really not, or have you forgotten that shirt of mine you put in the dryer that’s now too small for Deana?”
“All right, wise-ass, you can do the wash, but I’m carrying the hamper.”
“Fine.” I roll my eyes behind his back.
After my shadow joins me in the laundry room, he comes back up and paces the living room floor while I feed Dakota again.
“Joker, I’m begging you.”
“What?”
“Please either sit down, or go do something.”
“I’m fine.”
“I didn’t say you weren’t fine.” Even though he’s acting like he’s gonna jump out of his skin. “I’m just saying you’re driving me batshit crazy.”
He takes the chair opposite me and begins to tap his foot on the hardwood floor.
“Why aren’t you at the garage or The Gold Mine?”
“‘Cause I’m here taking care of you and the baby.”
I go back to feeding Dakota because, once my husband gets something in his head, there is no changing him. I love him with all my heart, but he can be stubborn as shit.
A few minutes later, he pops out of the chair and begins pacing again. Yup, this is going to be a long-ass week.
JOKER
There is no hiding shit from my very perceptive wife, and, yeah, I’m way over the edge, but until we get this bullshit straightened out with the Nomads, I couldn’t rest.
Knowing they were behind the mysterious packages and pictures is one thing, but what about my time-travel experience and the vision in the back lot of the club, the bad plugs on my bike, and almost being crushed by a lift in my own garage?
Cobra, Python, and even Daisy tried to explain it away, but the fact remains, weird fuckin’ shit happened, ending in near disaster for Daisy and Baby Dakota. And no matter how hard I try, I can’t forget Warrior’s warnings or the curse the dead Nomad put on me just before Mamba pulled the trigger.
Logical or not, my biggest fear is I’m losing my shit. Or maybe the suffocating guilt is playing with my brain.
Cobra is putting together a meet with Warrior, and until then, I’m not letting Daisy or our new baby out of my sight. I even wanted Deana and Derek to stay home from school, but Daisy nixed that idea, saying there was no need to worry them needlessly. Deana’s school has a buzz-in security system, and Derek already proved he could take care of himself. I reluctantly went along with her, but I couldn’t settle my nerves no matter how hard I tried.
My phone buzzes, and I grab it out of my pocket then swipe at the screen. “Yeah?”
“Just connected with Warrior,” Cobra’s low rasp filters through the phone. “I told him there’s no way we’re dragging our asses out to The Cathouse again, so he’s coming to The Gold Mine tomorrow night.”
“Got it.” My heart races with adrenaline and the need to set this shit straight.
“And this time, there’s no negotiations. He either gets his house in order, or we do, but in the end, this shit stops now.”
“Agreed.”
